Apparatus for melting batch material used in the manufacture of glass



April 8, 1952 H. COLE ETAL 2,592,010

APPARATUS FOR MEETING BATCH MATERIAL USED 1N THE MANUFACTURE 0F GLASSOriginal Filed Jan. 4, 1946 4 Sheets-Sheet l n, N f E 'u m 1 N o A A fRI Y v N RY fn 9 'A LA 'u v O fu f\1\ k N s s, T A T O l m j *r11 1| M M|I f Il e: 0) Il llfg IT' Il l r is; I 1| I Il Il l l l! lI 1| |l Il r',

4 Sheets-Sheet l2,

APlll 8, 1952 H. COLE ET AL APPARATUS FOR MELTING BATCH MATERIAL USED INTHE MANUFACTURE OF GLASS Original Fled Jan. 4, 1946 /U Q orneys mm wwwvom prll 8, 1952 H. COLE ET AL 2,592,010

APPARATUS RoR MELTING BATCH MATERIAL USED IN THE MANUFACTURE oF GLASSoriginal Filed Jan. 4, 1946 4 sheets-sheet s l JIIIL.

J l. Q g nvnlors -April 8, 1952 H COLE ETAL 2,592,010

APPARATUS FR MELTING BATCH MATERIAL USED yIN THE MANUFACTURE OF` GLASSOriginal Filed Jan. 4, 1946 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 Inventors Patented Apr. 8,1952 2,592,010 ICE APPARATUS FOR MELTING BATCH MATE- RIAL USED IN THEMANUFACTURE OF GLASS Horace Cole, Saint Helens, Alfred R. Green,Rainford, and Ernest B. Le Mare and Robert F. Taylor, Allithwaite,England, assignors to Pilkington Brothers Limited, Liverpool, England, a

British company Original application January 4, 1946, Serial No.639.080. Divided and this application June 18, 1948, Serial No. 33,884.In Great Britain September 15, 1944 Section 1, Public Law 690, August 8,1946 Patent expires September 15, 1964 19 Claims. (Cl. 49-54) Thisinvention relates to apparatus for melting glass, and is a division ofapplication Serial No. 639,080 led January 4, 1946, now abandoned.

In the customary continuous method of melting glass in a tank furnace, aheap of batch material is charged into the molten glass at the chargingend of the tank-furnace and the heaps so charged float in the glasspartly above and partly submerged. Accordingly the batch material isexposed to widely different temperatures.

The part of each heap above glass level is exposed on all sides to thehigh temperature of the heating gases and a thin layer of melted batchflows down each heap to the molten glass, on the other hand thesubmerged part of each heap is more slowly melted since it is exposed toa much lower temperature, which may be several hundred degreescentigrade lower than the temperature at the surface. Furthermore, thesubmerged portion of the heap is melted in the presence of convectioncurrents in the tank-surface, which tends to separate the ingredients.

The main object of the present invention is to expedite melting of thebatch material in an economical manner, and another object is to makeglass at a higher heat eiiciency than that at present achieved in tankfurnaces.

A furnace for melting batch material used in the manufacture of glassaccording to the present invention comprises an end wall to the furnaceat the charging end thereof, Aa at platform extending inwardly of thefurnace from said end wall, a pair of vertical confining walls erectedto extend along each side of the platform and rising upwardly therefrom,means for vdeveloping a high temperature over the platform'. horizontaltransporting means on the platform in contiguity therewith and extendingbetween the said confining walls and actuating means therefor whereby awedge shaped bank of batch materialhaving vertical sides and a slopingplane upper surface inclined downwardly toward the platform formed over.said transporting means between the said confining walls (so'that thevertical sides of the bank are supported by the said walls) may be movedbodily forward along the platform by said transporting means, at a raterelated to the rate of melting on said sloping .upper surface and meansfor kfeeding fresh batch material into the Yback only of the bank acrossthe full width thereof, the rate of moving and feeding b'engco-ordinated so that' the position iand outline of the bank .remainapproximately .constant as a molten stream flows therefrom.

The bank of batch material isformed within the furnace as fullydescribed in the said application Serial No. 639,080, and the back ofthe bank is accessible to any suitable means outside the surface forfeeding fresh material into the back of the bank.

vThe molten stream produced on the sloping upper surface of the bank isfree of any admixture with unmelted batch material by so determining theslope that the molten layer flowing down it does not disrupt theunderlying unmelted material and all the material converted into themolten stream is melted at a uniform high temperature.

In operating a tank furnace for melting glass according to the inventiononly high temperature molten material is fed to the main body of moltenmaterial in the tank.

Since the conversion of the batch material into a molten stream iseffected outside the tank of a tank-furnace a considerable reduction inthe size of such tanks can be effected as compared with the size oftanks commonly constructed.

A tank furnace for making glass constructed according to the presentinvention comprises side walls, and an end wall at the charging endthereof a tank and a flat platform extending from said end wall to thetank of the furnace just above the intended level of a main body ofmolten glass in the tank, a pair of vertical confining walls within saidside walls erected along each side of the platform and rising upwardlytherefrom, horizontal transporting means on the platform in contiguitytherewith extending between the said confining walls, and actuatingmeans therefor whereby a wedge-shaped bank of batch material havingvertical sides and a sloping plane upper surface inclined downwardlytowards said tank formed over said transporting means, between the saidconfining walls (so that the vertical sides of the bank are supported bythe walls) maybe moved bodily forward along the platform by saidtransporting means at a rate related to the rate of melting on saidsloping plane upper surface, a series of ports located for directinghigh temperature furnace gases across the sloping face 'of the bank onthe platform and means for feeding fresh batch material into the back ofthe bank across the full width thereof, the rate of moving and feedingbeing co-ordinated so that the position and outline of the bank remainapproximately constant as a molten stream flows therefrom.

Melting is effected in a layer of batch material on the sloping surfaceof the bank on the plat form and the underlying batch material in thebank protects the supporting structures and the bank moving means fromthe heat eiects of the high temperature gases.

The conning walls are preferably erected on the sides of the platform.but may be constituted by vertical walls erected within the furnace, orby the side walls of the furnace.

Bank maintaining apparatus Aconstructed according to the invention maybe entirely separate from the furnace structure so that it can be movedup to the charging end of a furnace and under the end wall at that end,until the 'platform reaches the tank wall and preferably the confiningwalls are movable with the platform.

Accordingly a tank furnace in accordance with the present invention maycomprise an end wall at the charging end, having a lower edge disposedjust above the intended height for the bank to be formed in the furnaceIand a movable structure comprising the platform and bank confining wallsmovable .as an entity under the said :lower edge of the end wall of thefurnace until the front edge of the platform meets the tank wall of thefurnace, said structure comprising also means inclined to the platformfor supporting the back of the bank, and the transporting ,means on theplatform for moving the Abank thereon bodily forward, a batch binoutside the said end wall andmeans for feeding batch from the bin intothe back of the bank across the width thereof over the said inclinedsupport for the Yback of the bank.

.An end wall, having a lower edge disposed close to the top of a bankextending across the furnace substantially for the width of the tank,may be adjustable to the top of the bank. To this end, the end Wall ispreferably a suspended structure provided with means for altering thedisposition of the wall with regard to the top of the bank In operation,the end wall being set in position. the wedge shaped bank is built up onthe platform and against the confining walls until the desired slopingupper surface is obtained extending from near the front of the platformto the vicinity of the end wall. The high temperature melting gases,that is gases which are at least at a temperature as is usually employedin glass melting in a tank furnace, sweep from one lside to the other`of the bank so that a .molten layer is formed on the bank and commencesto move down the .bank to form a continually flowing stream of moltenmaterial whereby a molten stream flows from the bank and fresh batchmaterial in the bank is continually being uncovered.

As melting takes place the bank is moved bodily forward so that thesloping plane surface regains its original disposition with regard tothe platform and the gas ports, and simultaneously fresh batch materialis fed into the back of the bank to maintain the outline of the bankvapproximately constant.

Preferably the molten glass in the tank of the furnace is maintained ata level slightly below the level of the front edge of the platform, andthe molten stream formed on the bank then iiows from the bank into themain body of molten glass in the tank and is at all times exposed to thehigh temperature gases.

By the present invention a higher heat eiiciency for gas heatingtank-furnaces is obtained as compared with that at present achieved inthe usual gas-heated furnaces, by melting all the batch material at ahigh temperature .and .allowing only molten material to enter the mainbody of molten glass.

Preferably, the horizontal transporting means employed for bodily movingforward the bank of vbatch material formed on the platform, is areciprocating means and the actuatingmeans therefor comprise means forreadily and precisely adjusting the stroke of the said moving meansaccording to therate of melting of the batch material on the bank.

The reciprocating means for moving the bank may comprise Ya series ofbars rigidly connected in spaced relation with each other and with meanssuch as a connecting rod to move the bars to and fro, the vbars beingsupported at the level of the rod and extending between theconningwalls, Vand ramps parallel to the bars and extending between theconfining walls but stationary relatively `to the bars, said ramps beinglocated across the platform in the spaces between the bars, each of saidramps including a vertical front face which offers resistance tobackward movement of the batch material during backward movement of thebars, and an upper face inclined downwards and backwards over which thebatch material is moved forwards and upwards .by the spaced bars duringthe forward movement of the actuating connecting rod. The spaced bars ofthe reciprocating bank-moving means are formed similarly to the ramps,that is to say, to includesubstantially vertical front faces and upperfaces inclined downwards and backwards, thereby the inclined faces ofthe spaced bars are adapted to assist the vertical faces in movingforward the bank by carrying forward the batch material in the bankdisposed over them during their forward movement, and facilitate theirrearward movement under the bank. The bars at or near the front of thebank have vertical faces of less depth than the rearward bars in orderto maintain the slope of the upper surface of the bank approximatelyconstant.

Where the bank is of considerable width, .say for example 20 ft., aplurality of reciprocating means are arranged side by side across theplatform, the to and fro movements of the actuating connecting rodsbeing thereby adjustable relatively to one another so as to vary therates of movement in the bank to counteract the varying rates of meltingwhich occur across the whole of the bank in order to maintain theoutline of the bank approximately constant in spite of variations in therate of melting of the bank.

By such arrangements of bank-moving means the whole bank is moved bodilyforward the requisite amount at each excursion of the reciprocatingbars.

The bank is fed from a bin arranged outside the furnace in contiguitywith the end wall of the furnace, and fresh vbatch material is fed fromthe bin into the `back of the bank. Any continually operating device maybe employed to transfer batch material from the bin into the back of thebank. Thus, .reciprocating members, similar to those used for moving thebank forward, may operate on the bottom plate of the bin, this bottomplate being on a level with the outlet from the bin.

Apparatus for maintaining a bank of batch material constructed accordingto the present invention may comprise a platform, a bin behind theplatform, the .bottom of said bin being disposed above rthe level of theplatform, feeding means' operating .on'the bottom ofthe bin to move.batch material :in the bin towards the platform.

a bell shaped mouth for the bin extending from the bottom front of thebin towards the platform and including a lower wall which gives support,at the back, to the bottom of the bank, to be formed on the platform,and is disposed to guide batch material fed from the bin to the rear ofthe platform, side walls, and an upper wall limiting the upward travelof the batch material at the back of the bank, and confining side wallscarried by the platform, so that batch material fed from the bin'intothe bell shaped mouth is moved in contiguity with the walls of thebin mouth into the back of a bank formed on the platform and between thesaid confining walls, and means on the platform for moving the bankformed thereon bodily forward, the rate of forward movement of the bankforming means and of the batch feeding means, being co-ordinated wherebythe outline of the bank on the platform remains approximately constantduring melting.

Where the bank is of such width as to make it necessary to employ aplurality of bank moving means on the platform, then a correspondingnumber of batch feeding means will be arranged in the bin in order toco-ordinate the rate of feed with the variations in the rate of meltingwhich occurs across the whole of the bank so as to maintain the outlineof the bank approximately constant.

In order that the invention may be more clearly understood a preferredembodiment thereof, as applied to a continuous tank-furnace, will now bedescribed by way of example with reference to the accompanyingdiagrammatic drawings.

In the drawings:

Figure 1 is a longitudinal sectional elevation through the charging endof the furnace;

Figure 2 is a view similar to Figure 1, but to a reduced scale, showingthe actuating mechanismv for moving the bank moving means and the batchfeeding means by which the batch is supplied into the rear of the bank;

Figure 3 is a sectional elevation across the furnace on the line III- IHof Figure 2 looking towards the end wall at the charging end; and

Figure 4 is a half plan of the apparaus .shown in Figure 1 and of thebank moving means supported thereon.

In the drawings like references designate the same parts. Y

The furnace comprises a crown I, vertical side walls 2 and a movable endwall 3 at the charging end, under which end wall the platform and bankmoving means are pushed up to the tank. The rear end wall of the tank isshow at 4.

The end wall 3 is suspended from a support generally indicated at 5, bymeans of a structure including a cradle 6 suspended by rods 'I which areadjustable in an axial direction by any suitable means, e. g. nuts 8.The bottom of the cradle is secured to an angle member 9 inserted nearthe lower edge of the end wall; the lower edge is rabbetted, and a waterbox I0 is partially disposed in the rabbet. The means of suspending andadjusting the height of the lower edge ofthe end wall from the furnacefloor is not further described, the arrangement illustrated being wellunderstood by those skilled in the art.

In each side wall of the furnace are ports II for directing hightemperature gas alternately in each direction from side to side of thefurnace so that melting can be effected by the heat developed over theplatform.

The ports are arranged in an inclined plane corresponding to the slopingupper surface of the bank of the batch material to be melted so that thewhole surface thereof is continuously subjected to the action of theentering high temperature gases which sweep across from side to side ofthe bank.

A flat platform I2 of substantially the same width as the tank of thefurnace, say about 2U ft., is mounted on a chassis I3 and disposed sothat its surface is slightly above the level i4 of the molten glass inthe tank. The front part of the platform may be constituted by a row ofwater boxes I2a and a row of refractory blocks I2b as illustrated. Awedge shaped bank I5 of batch material is formed on the platform vI2 andextends forwardly from the end wall 3 to present an inclined plane uppersurface I5a sloping towards the tank of the furnace. In order that themolten stream indicated at I5b flowing from the upper surface I5a of thebank I5 shall be nearly as wide as the width ofthe tank, confining WallsI6 for the bank are erected along each side of the platform within sidewalls 2 of the furnace (see particularly Figure 3) on angle joists Iliafixed alongside the chassis I3 and extending to the front of therefractory blocks |212. The tops of the confining walls I6 are slopedparallelly to the slope of the ports I I.

Very successful results have been obtained with a platform which isabout 11 ft. in depth, i. e., ,Y

from back to front, on which a bankof material is maintained, the bankat the back having a height of about 3 ft. 6 ins. so that the uppersurface of the bank slopes down from the charging end of the furnace tothe tank at an angle to the horizontal of about 20 to 25. The slope isregulated so as to avoid such disrupture of the molten layer flowingdown the bank as to permit avalanching of unmelted batch material in thebank. The slope employed is always such that a substantially smoothuniform slope to the bank is obtained without any great variations ofsteepness. The length of the platform may be such as to give the moltenstream leaving the bank an extended period of ow over the substantiallylevel surface of the platform whilst fully exposed to thehigh'temperature gases, and the conning walls extended to constrain theilow of the molten stream towards the tank.

Applicants have found by experiments that such a bank of batch materialcannot be moved forward bodily and its outline maintained by a forwardpressure applied simultaneously over the whole of the back of the bank,and that, on exerting such a forward pressure, deformation of the bankoccurs with consequent rupture of the molten layer on the sloping faceof the bank accompanied by extrusion of raw batch, but that by bodilymoving forward the bank by engaging the bottom layer of the bank andfeeding new batch material into the back of the bank, the outline can bemaintained without causing disruption of the molten layer on its slopingface and consequent avalanching of batch material.

In order to move the bank I5 bodily forward as melting proceeds at arate Aco-ordinated with the rate of feeding fresh batch material intothe back of the bank, there is arranged on the platform I2 atransporting means comprising a plurality of reciprocating means eachincluding a series of parallel bars I1 which are connected together bylongitudinal members 5I, each reciprocating means being provided with aconnecting rod 5|) so that each rod 50 actuates to and fro an opengrid-like framev (see particularly Figure 4). The plurality of series ofbars extend for the full width of the platform I2 and each series iscapable of sliding as an entity over the platform as it is actuated bythe reciprocation of its rod 5D. As indicated in Figure 3 seven seriesof reciprocating means are employed on the platform. Each of the bars ilof the bank-moving means present vertical faces I'Ia which push forwardthe material in the bottom layer of the bank, whilst their upper faceslib carry forward the material overlying them.

Experiments have shown that 'it is preferable for all the bars to havean upper face lib which is inclined to facilitate the backward movementci the bars under the bank. The vertical faces of the bars progressivelyincrease from front to back whereby the slope of the upper surface ofthe bank is maintained approximately uniform, the height of the barsdepending on the height in the bank above the bars.

In order to minimise backward movement in the bank as the bars I7 aremoved backwards, there are disposed between the bars l1 and alterhatingwith them stationary ramps i9 extending across the width of therespective series, each of said ramps I9 presenting a vertical face Iiawhich obstructs backward movement in the bank. Each series of ramps ismounted on a respective sole plate I8 which sole plates lie side by sideon the platform and are removably located thereon, and.

the several series of the bars I1 and their respective longitudinals 5Irest on the respective sole plates. The ends of the underfaces of eachseries of ramps I9 are rabbetted to allow the respective longitudinale5l to pass under them. Further; in order that the introduction of theseramps may not obstruct the forward movement of the bank during theforward movement of the reciprocating bars Il, ie ramps I9 have a slopeISD on their upper surfaces which enables the batch material to moveforwardly as the reciprocating bars I'l move forwardly with the rod 50.

Experiments have proved that the bank can be moved bodily forward if thebars I'I of each series are spaced apart a dist-ance about equal totwice the width of a bar, the width of abar from front to back beingabout six inches whilst the ramps I9 are of substantially the samedimension as the bars Il. Accordingly in the construction illustratedthe total area of the bars and ramps when viewed in plan is equal totwothirds of the area of the platform over which they operate. It willbe observed that each rear bar I'I is disposed at the rear of the bankwhilst each front bar is spaced rearwardly from the front of theplatform the arrangement permitting the bank to be moved bodily forwardwhilst the bank protects the moving means from the heat of the furnacegases.

Outside the end wall 3 is erected a bin 2i) for fresh batch material,the bottom of the bin being disposed at about the level of half theheight of the bank at the back. On the bottom of the bin 20 there is aplurality of sole plates 2| corresponding to the number of sole plateson the platform, each sole plate 2l carrying ramps 22, 23 in spacedrelation. Each ramp 22 is wedge shaped and each ramp 23 forms a step atthe back of the bin. both ramps present vertical faces 22a and 23arespectively towards the mouth 28a of the bin, which mouth is equal inwidth to the width of the bank on the platform. Each sole plate is xedover the bottom of the bin so that it can be retracted with itsrespective ramps 22,

23 from the bin for purposes of repair, and ony each sole plate 2| isdisposed a frame comprising spaced feed bars 24 connected by their endsto longitudinal members 24a. The forward feed bars in each series whichare arranged one to each side of the bar 22 of the respective series aredisposed between the longitudinals of the series and the rear feed baris disposed on the longitudinals to be elevated above the respectivestep 23. The feed bars 24 are preferably all of the same wedge form asthe bars II on the platformand each series of bars is connnected to arespective connecting rod 25 behind the back wall of the bin.

With such an arrangement the respective series of feed bars 24 on thebin can be individually given to and fro excursions and push batchmaterial forwardly into the mouth 20a, whilst their wedge shapeformation permits them easily to move backwards under the batchmaterial, and during this backward movement the fixed bars by theirvertical faces 22a, 23a., oppose backward movement as a whole of thebatch material in the bin.

By providing each feed bar 24 which operates over a step 23 in the bin,the material is merely pushed forward and falls olf the step on to therespective middle bar thereby direct upward movement of the material inthe back of the bin by deflection from the sloping face of the middlebar is avoided.

Each connecting rod 25 is at the rear end hinged to a 'pivoted lever 26in turn connected by a pitman 21 to a crank disc 28, the hinge betweenthe connecting rod 25 and lever 26 being adjustable lengthwise of thelever so as to vary the stroke of the feed bars. The reciprocations ofthe several rods 25 are preferably employed to cause movement in thecorresponding bankmoving means whereby the .bank is synchronously movedbodily forward as melting on the sloping surface I5a proceeds, eachconnecting rod 25 being connected to the respective connecting rod El ofthe bank-moving means through levers 2d and 30 both mounted on a pin30a, the lever 30 in turn being connected by a link 3I and arms 3Ia tothe connecting rod 5D o f the bank-moving means.

The connection of the link 3l to lever 3G is adjustable by hand wheel 32having a threaded end 33 passing through a sndabie block 34 whichcarries the hinge pin by which the link and lever are connected.

Thereby the stroke of each series of reciprocating bars in the bin andof the corresponding bars on the platform may be relatively adjusted toco-ordinate the rate of forward movement of the bank with the rate ofmelting of the batch material so that the desired outline of the bank ismaintained substantially constant, the feeding of batch material beingsynchronized with the movement of the bank.

Further the rate of movement of the several series of reciprocating barson the platform are adjustable to one another, whereby the rate ofmovement may be varied across the bank to neutralise variations in therate of melting across the bank which may occur, and the rate of feedinginto the back of the bank achieved by each series of bars in the binmade to synchronise with the rate of movement of the corresponding barson the platform.

It may here be observed that with tanks of lesser width than 20 ft. afewer series of bank moving and corresponding batch feeding means vwillbe employed and with relatively narrow banks a single bank moving andbatch feeding means may be employed.

The end wall 3 is as already stated provided with aligned water boxesII] which extend across `box to be withdrawn between the bin and the endwall 3 for purposes of repair.

In operation, the bank-moving means move forwardly so that the verticalfaces of the bars I 1 push forward batch material in a bottom layer ofthe bank. In synchronism with the. movement of the bars I1, the feedbars 21B are advanced and batch material is pushed forward by the feedbars 24 from the bin through the bellshaped mouth, thereby the freshmaterial is fed into the back of the bank. By the synchronous movementof the bars I1 and 24 the outline of the bank remains approximatelyconstant and accordingly undisturbed, thereby melting takes placecontinuously on the upper sloping surface of the bank. A uniformcomposition is therefore maintained for the bank and for the moltenstream flowing therefrom.

By disposing the bottom of the bin about midway of the height of thebank at the back, the batch feeding means operating on the bottom of thebin, pushes fresh material into the back, rather nearer the top than thebottom, and the uppervwall of the bell-shaped mouth deiiects thevnatural upward movement of the batch into a forward and upward movementtowards the top of the bank whilst the lower wall (or apron) directs thefresh batch into the bottoni of the bank, thereby the whole sloping faceof the bank is supported by fresh batch material and the gases passingover the sloping faces can find no outlet to the bin.

It will be observed that the bank of batch material wholly protects thebank-moving means, comprising the bars I1, against the effects of theheat of the furnace gases, whilst the bank prevents heat radiationlosses under the end wall 3.

Although reciprocating or conveying means have been referred to as ameans of feeding batch material to the back of the bank, obviously othermeans, such as gravity feeding, may be employed so long as it is capableof feeding batch material into the back of the bank at the required rateto maintain the outline of the bank approximately constant during theprocess of melting.

In the foregoing description the platform is stated to be slightly abovethe level I4 of the molten glass in the tank. but the platform may be ator slightly below the level of the molten glass, provided that in suchcase the bank-moving means are raised slightly with regard to theplatform in order that they operate at a level above the level of themolten glass in the tank.

From the foregoing it will be observed that in carrying out the presentinvention a novel principle of operation is involved, namely that thebank is formed at the beginning of the operation and its outlineapproximately maintained throughout, so that the original composition ofthe batch material is maintained whilst the batch ro material in thebank protects-the bank-moving means from the heat of the furnace-gases.'Further, the whole of the batch material is melted at a hightemperature and unmelted material cannot reach the main body of moltenglass in a tank furnace.

We claim:

l. A furnace for melting batch material used in the manufacture of glasscomprising an end wall to the furnace at the charging end thereof, aflat platform extending inwardly of the furnace from said end wall, apair of vertical confining walls erected to extend along each side ofthe platform and rising upwardly therefrom, means for developing a hightemperature over the platform, horizontal transporting means on theplatform in contiguity therewith and extending between the saidconfining Walls, and actuating means therefor, whereby a wedge shapedbank of batch material; having vertical sides and a sloping plane uppersurface inclined downwardly toward the platform, formed over saidtransporting means between the said confiining walls (so that thevertical sides of the bank are supported bythe said walls), may be movedbodily- `the rate of moving and feeding being co-ordinated so that theposition and outline of the bank remain approximately constant as amolten stream flows therefrom.

2. A furnace for melting batch material used in the manufacture of glasscomprising side walls, and an end wall at the charging end thereof, atank, a fiat platform extending from said end wall to the tank of thefurnace just above the intended level of a main body of molten glass inthe tank, a pair of verti-cal conning walls within said side wallserected along each side of the platform. and rising upwardlyv therefrom,horizontal transporting means on the platform vin contiguity therewithextending between said conf lining walls, and actuating means therefor,whereby a wedge shaped bank of batch material having vertical sides anda sloping plane upper surface inclined downwardly towards said tank oversaid transporting means, formed between the said confining walls (sothat the vertical sides of the bank are supported by the walls), may bemoved bodily forward along the platform by said transporting means at alrate related to the rate of melting on said sloping plane uppersurface, a series of ports located for directing high temperaturefurnace gases across the sloping face of Athe bank on the platform, andmeans for feeddisposed above the level of the platform, ancillaryfeeding means operating on the bottom of the bin to move batch materialin the bin towards the platform, a bell-shaped mouth for the binextending .from the bottom front of the bin towards asoaoio the platformand including a.lower wall which gives support at the back to the bottomof the bank, to be formed on `the platform, land is disposed to guidebatch material fed from the bin to the rear of the platform, side walls,and an upper wall limiting the upward travel of the batch material atthe back of the bank, so that the batch material fed from the bin intothe bell-shaped mouth is moved in contiguity with the walls of the binmouth into the back of la bank formed on the platform and between thesaid confining walls.

4. A furnace for melting batch material used in the manufacture of glasscomprising a tank, side walls and an end wall to the furnace at thecharging end, a flat platform extending inwardly from said end wall atabout the intended level for a main body of molten glass in the tank, apair of confining walls erected within said side Walls to extendupwardly along each side of the platform and between said end wall andsaid tank, said conning walls rising above said platform, horizontaltransporting means on the platform in contiguity therewith extendingbetween said confining walls, and actuating means therefor, whereby awedge shaped bank of batch material having vertical sides and a slopingupper surface inclined downwardly towards said tank formed over saidtransporting means between the said confining walls (so that thevertical sides of the bank are supported by the confining walls) may bemoved bodily forward along the platform by said transporting means at arate related to the rate of melting on said sloping surface, a series ofports located for directing high temperature furnace gases across thesloping face of the bankon the platform, said furnace end wall having alower edge disposed just above the intended height for the bank to beformed in the furnace, and a movable structure including the platformand bank confining walls, movable as an entity under the said lower edgeof the end wall until the front edge of the platform meets the tank ofthe furnace, said movable structure comprising also means inclined tothe platform for supporting the back of the bank, and the transportingmeans on the platform for moving the bank thereof bodily forward, abatch bin outside the said end wall, and means for feeding fresh batchfrom the bin into the back only of the bank across the full widththereof over said inclined support for the back of the bank, the rate ofmoving the bank and feeding fresh batch material being coordinated sothat the position Aand outline of the bank remain approximately constantas a molten stream flows therefrom.

5. A furnace for melting batch material used in the manufacture of glasscomprising side walls and a charging end, a vertically movable end wallat the said charging end, a platform extending inwardly of the furnacefrom the charging end, vertical confining walls within the side walls ofthe furnace erected to extend inwardly from the charging end andupwardly along each side of the platform, said end wall abutting on saidconfining walls, means for developing a high tempeuature over theplatform, horizontal transporting means on the platform in contiguitytherewith extending between the said confining walls, and actuatingmeans therefor, whereby a wedge shaped bank of batch material havingvertical sides and a sloping plane upper surface inclined downwardlytowards the platform formed over said transporting means between thesaid confining walls (so that the vertical sides of the bank aresupported by the confining Walls) may be moved bodily forward along theplatform, at a rate related to the rate of melting on said sloping uppersurface, and means for feeding fresh batch material into the back onlyof the bank across the full width thereof, the rate of moving andfeeding being co-ordinated so that the position and outline of the bankremain approximately constant as a molten stream flows therefrom.

6. A furnace for `melting batch material used in the manufacture ofglass comprising side walls anda vertically adjustable end wall at thecharg- 'ing end of the furnace, a tank, a platform at the charging end,extending from said end wall to the tank justabove the intended level ofa main body of molten glass in the tank, vertical confining walls withinthe side walls of the furnace erected to extend upwardly along each sideof the .platform and between said movable wall and the said tank, saidconfining walls rising above said platform, horizontal transportingmeans on the platform in contiguity therewith extending between saidconfining walls and actuating means therefor, whereby a wedge shapedbank of batch material, having vertical sides and a sloping upper faceinclined downwardly towards said tank, formed over said transportingmeans between the said confining walls (so that the vertical sides ofthe bank are supported by the confining walls), may be move-d bodilyforward along the platform by said transporting means at a rate relatedto the rate of melting on said sloping upper surface, a series of portslocated for directing high temperature furnace gases across the slopingface of the bank on the platform, and means for feedingr fresh batchmaterial into the back only of the bank across the full width thereof,the rate of moving and feeding being co-ordinated Vso that the positionand outline of the bank remain approximately constant as a molten streamflows therefrom.

7. A furnace for melting batch material used in the manufacture of glasscomprising a vertically adjustable end wall at the charging end of thefurnace, a tank, a platform at the charging end extending from said endwall of the furnace just above the intended level of a main body ofmolten glass in the tank, a pair of vertical conlining walls erected toextend upwardly along each side of the platform and between said movablewall and said tank, said confining walls rising above said platform,horizontal transporting means on the platform in contiguity therewithextending between said confining walls and actuating means therefor,whereby a wedge shaped bank of batch material, having vertical sides anda sloping upper face inclined downwardly towards said tank, formed onthe platform between the said confining walls (so that the verticalsides of the bank are supported by the confining walls) and over saidtransporting means, may be moved bodily forward along the platform at arate related to the rate of melting on said sloping surface, a series ofports located for directing high temperature furnace gases acrossthesloping face of the bank on the platform, a movable structureincluding the platform and bank confining walls, movable as an entityunder the said lower edge of the end wall until the front edge of theplatform meets the tank of the furnace, said movable structurecomprising also means inclined to the platform for supporting the backof the bank. and the transporting means on the platform for moving thebank thereon bodily forward, a batch bin outside the said end wall, andmeans for feed- 13 ving fresh batch from the bin into the back only ofthe bank across the full width thereof over said inclined support forthe back of the bank, the rate of moving the bank and feeding freshbatch material being co-ordinated so that the position i and outline ofthe bank remain approximately constant as a molten stream flowstherefrom,

8. A furnace for melting batch material used in the manufacture of glasscomp-rising side Walls and an end wall to the furnace at the chargingend thereof, a flat platform extending inwardly of the furnace from saidend wall adapted to support a wedge shaped bank of batch material havingvertical side walls and a sloping upper face, vertical walls within saidside walls extending along each side of the platform adapted to confinethe said bank (so that the vertical sides of the bank are supported bythe confining walls), means for developing a high temperature over thesaid sloping upper face of the bank on the platform, horizontaltransporting means on the platform in contiguity therewith, andactuating means therefor, said transporting means extending between thesaid confining walls and engaging the bottom layer of the said bank tomove it forward whereby the Whole bank is moved bodily forward along theplatform at a rate related to the rate of melting, means for feedingfresh batch material into the back only of the said bank across the fullwidth thereof, and means for coordinating the rate of moving andfeeding, whereby the position and outline of the bank may be maintainedapproximately constant.

9. A furnace for melting batch material used in the manufacture of glasscomprising an end wall to the furnace at the charging end thereof, aflat platform extending inwardly of the furnace from said end wall, apairof vertical confining walls erected to extend along each side of theplatform and rising above said platform, means for developing a hightemperature over the platform, horizontal transporting means on theplatform comprising a series of parallel bars arranged in spacedrelation and extending between said confining walls, each bar having avertical front face and a plane upper face inclining rearwardly from thevertical face to the rear of the bar, rigid longitudinal membersconnecting the bars, said bars being all of substantially equal widthand spaced apart la distance about equal to twice the width of a barfrom front to back, ramps xed midway between and parallel to each pairof bars in said plurality of bars, each said ramp having a verticalfront face and an upper face inclining rearwardly from the verticalface, the width of each ramp from front to back being about the same asthe width of the bars, and actuating means adapted to reciprocate thebars between the ramps, whereby a wedge shaped bank of batch material,having a sloping plane upper surface inclined downwardly towards theplatform, formed over said transporting means (so that the verticalsides of the bank are supported by the said walls). may be moved bodilyforward along the platform by said transporting means, at a rate'relatedto the rate of melting on said sloping upper surface, and meansfor feeding fresh biatch material into the back only of the bank acrossthe full width thereof, the rate of moving and feeding being(zo-ordinated so that the position and outline of the bank remainsapproximately constant :as a molten stream flows therefrom, the

- front bars of said plurality of bars being disposed rearwardly of thefront of the'platform, so'that l 114 all the bars are protected by thebank fromthe furnace gases.

10. A furnace for melting batch material used in the manufacture ofglass comprising an end wall to the furnace at the charging end thereof,a tank, a flat platform at the charging e-nd and extending from saidendwall just above the intended level for a main body of molten glass inthe tank, a pair of vertical confining walls erected to extend .alongeach'side of the platform and between said end wall and said tank, saidconfining walls rising above said platform, horizontal transportingmeans on the platform in contiguity therewith, said transporting meanscomprising a series of parallel bars arranged in spaced .relation andextending between said confiing walls, each bar having a vertical frontface and a plane upper face inclining rearwardly from the vertical faceto the rear of the bar, rigid longitudinal members connecting the bars,said bars being all of substantially equal width and spaced apart adistance about equal to twice the width of a bar from front to back,ramps fixed midway between and parallel to each pair of bars in saidplurality of bars, each said ramp having a vertical front face and anupper face inclining rearwardly from the vertical face, the width ofeach ramp from front to back being about the same as the width of thebars, and actuating means adapted to reciprocate the bars between theramps whereby a Wedge shaped bank of batch material, having verticalsides and a sloping upper surface inclined downwardly towards said tank,formed on the platform between the said confining walls (so that thevertical sides of the bank are supported by the confining walls) andover said transporting means, may be moved bodily forward along theplatform by said transporting means at a rate related to the rate ofmelting on. said sloping upper surface, a series of ports located fordirecting high temperature furnace gases across the sloping face of thebank on the platform, and means for feeding freshy batch material intothe back only of the bank across the full Width thereof. the rate ofmoving and feedingbeing fio-ordinated so that the position and outlineof the bank remain approximately constant as a molten stream flowstherefrom, the front bars of said plurality of bars being disposedrearwardly of the front of the platform, so that all the bars areprotected by the bank from the furnace gases.

1l. A tank furnace according to claim 5, wherein the transporting means,for moving bodily forward a bank of batch material formed on theplatform as melting proceeds on the sloping plane upper surface of thebank, comprises a series of parallel bars arranged in spaced relationand extending between said confining walls, each bar presenting avertical face towards the front of the bank and a plane upper faceinclining rearwardly from the vertical face to the rear of the bar,rigid longitudinal members connecting the bars, said bars being all ofsubstantially equal width and spaced apart a distance about equal totwice the width ofv a bar from front to back, ramps fixed midway betweenand parallel to each pair of bars in said plurality of bars, each saidramp having a vertical face towards the front of the bank and an upperface inclining rearwardly from the vertical face, the width of each rampfrom front to back being about the'same as the width of the bars, thefront bars ofr said plurality of bars being disposed rearwardly of thefront of the platform, so that al1 lthe bars 'are protected by the bankfrom the furnace gases.

12. A tank furnacev according to.. claim. 6, wherein the transportingmeans, for moving bodilyv forward a. bank; off batch material formed on.the. platform as melting proceeds ontheslopingplane upper surface ofthe-bank, comprises a series of parallelbarszarranged in spaced.relation. and extending between said confining walls, each barpresenting a vertical face towards the front of the bank-and a planeupper face inclining rearwardly from the vertical face to the rear ofthe bar. rigid longitudinal members, connecting the bars, said barsbeingall of substantially equal width and spaced apart a distance about equalto twice the width of a bar from front to back', ramps fixed midwaybetween and parallel to each pair of.' bars insaid plurality of bars,each saidramp having a vertical face towards the front of the bank and.an upper facev inclining rearwardly from. the vertical face, the widthof eachramp from front to back being abouti the same as the width of thebars. the front bars ofjsaid plurality of bars. being disposedrearwardlyofthe front of the platform, so that all the bars are protected by thebank from the furnace gases.

13. A tank furnace according to claim 7, wherein the transporting means,for moving bodily forward a bank of batch material formed on theplatform as melting proceeds on the slcp ing plane upper surface ofthebank, comprises a series of parallel bars arranged in spaced relationand extending between said confining walls. each bar presenting avertical face towards the front of the bank and a plane upperfaceinclining rearwardly from theY vertical face to the rear of the bar,rigid longitudinal members connecting,` the bars, said bars being all ofsubstantiallyv equal width and spaced apart a distance about equal totwice the width of. a bar: from front to back, ramps fixed midwaybetween and parallel to each pair; of bars in sai-d pluralityy of bars,each said ramp having a vertical face towards the front of the bank andan upper face inclining rearwardly from the. vertical face, the widthvof' each ramp from front to backbeing: about: the'v same as the width ofthe bars, the front bars of said plurality of bars. being disposedrearwardly of. the. front of theplatform, so. thatallthe bars, areprotected by the bank from the furnace gases.

14. Afurnace according to claim 9, wherein the transporting meanscomprises a plurality'of. series of reciprocating barsv andcorresponding fixed ramps arranged side by side across the platform, andextending between said conning walls, and individual actuating meansrespectivev to each series of reciprocating bars and adjusting meanstherefor, whereby the to and fro movements of the respectivereciprocating means arev independently adjustable relatively to oneanother. so as to counteract any variation in the rate of melting acrossthe bank in order to maintain the out'- line of the bank approximatelyconstant in spite of variations in the rate of melting on the bank.

15. A furnace according to claim 10, wherein the transporting meanscomprises a plurality of series of reciprocating bars and correspondingfixed ramps arranged side by side across the platform, and extendingbetween said. confining walls, and individual actuating means respectiveto each series of reciprocating bars and adjusting means therefor,whereby the to and fro movements of the respective reciprocating meansare independentlyA adjustabler relatively to one another. so astocounteract anyvariation in the rate of melting across the; bankin order.to. maintain the outline.: of the. bank approximately constantv in spiteof variations. in. the.` rateof meltingv on thebank.

16. A furnace according to claim 9,4 wherein the vertical faces of thebars progressively in.- crease. in height from front to back.

17. A furnace according to claim 9, comprising a plurality of series ofreciprocating bars and corresponding fixed ramps arranged side by sideacross the platform and extending between said confining walls, thevertical front faces of said bars `progressively increasing in heightfrom front to back, actuating means respective to each series ofreciprocating barsV and adjusting means therefor whereby the to and fromovements of the respective reciprocating means are adjustable rela,-tively to. one another, so 4as to counteract any variation in the rateof melting across the bank in order to maintain the outline of thebankapproximately constant in spite of variations in the rate of melting onthe bank.

18. In a furnace for melting glass comprising confining side walls, anend Wall at the charging end, and a platform extending into the furnacefrom said end wall, on which platform. batch material arranged as awedge shaped batch is melted. apparatus for maintaining the bank ofbatch material comprising a bin outside the end wall and behind theplatform, the bottom of said bin being disposed at Ia height which isjust above half the height of the bank. feeding means operating on thebottom. of the bin to move batch material in the bin towards theplatform, a bell-shaped mouth for the bin extending from the bottomfront of the bin towards the platform and including a lower wall whichgives support at the back, to the bottom of. the bank to be formed on.the platform, and is disposed to guide batch material fed from the binto the rear of theplatform, side walls, and an upper wall limiting theupward travel of the batch material at the back of the bank, so that thebatch material fed from the bin into the bell-shaped mouth is moved incontiguity with the walls of the bin mouth into the back of a bankformed on the platform and between the said confining walls.

19. Apparatus for melting batch material in the manufacture of glassaccording to claim 4, wherein the means for feeding batch into the backof the bank is so disposed above the level of the platform as to feedthe fresh material across the full width of the back of the bank over anarea which is just above half the height of the bank.

H. COLE.

A. R. GREEN. E. B. LE MARE. R. F. TAYLOR.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the fileofthis patent:-

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number- Name Date 1,400,830 Peebles Dec. 20, 19211,953,034 Willetts Mar. 27, 1934 1,999,761 Howard Apr. 30, 19352,137,930 Turk Nov. 22, 1938 2,272,217 Longenecker Feb. 10, 19422,284,398 Kutchka May 26, 1942 2,284,420 Halbach et al. May 26 19422,431,799 Gaffney Dec. 2, 1947 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date598,058 Greatv Britain .Feb. 10, 1948

